An voting rights advocacy group on Friday filed an emergency appeal with the nation’s highest court, hoping it will overturn an appellate court’s decision it says hinders voter registration in Texas.

In February, Project Vote filed a lawsuit alleging that five new laws passed by the 82nd Legislature were unfairly burdensome to voters. In August, U.S. District Judge Gregg Costa of Galveston granted a temporary injunction against the provisions, which include a law that prohibits third-party voter registrars from working in multiple counties and another that mandates registrars in Texas be residents of the state. Provisions ...

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A panel of federal judges unanimously struck down a voter-ID law passed by the legislature in March 2011, arguing that it would disproportionately harm African-American and Latino voters. Both decisions hinged on Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, which requires certain states with a history of racial discrimination in voting — including Texas — to prove that any changes in their voting laws or procedures do not hamper the voting rights of minorities. Texas lawmakers drew some districts that looked like Latino majority districts on paper — but removed Latinos who voted regularly and replaced them with Latinos who were unlikely to vote. Texas lawmakers widened the gap between the proportion of the population that is Latino and African Americans and the proportion of districts that are minority-controlled. The Texas Legislature removed economic centers and district offices from African-American and Latino districts, while giving white Republicans perks. The Texas Legislature passed a voter-ID law with requirements that would make it disproportionately difficult for African Americans and Latinos to vote. The Texas Legislature acted to divide and conquer: Texas "cracked" minority voters out of one district into three to offset and counter the minority vote from being proportional to the Texas population. Look at Pennsylvania and the actions of the TEA-Republican controlled governorship and the legislation passed to disenfranchise voters knowing fully the implications on the large Puerto Rican community in Pennsylvania. Voter disenfranchisement is the mantra of the TEA-Republican's and they have formed a coalition with Libertarians, GOP and Evangelicals to oust Obama. New voting restrictions, including eight — Alabama, Kansas, Mississippi, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin — that passed variations of a rule requiring photo identification. Idaho and Oklahoma passed similar legislation in 2010, as did Utah in 2009. In 2008 New Mexico pass this legislation. Ohio and Georgia passed voter restrictions in 2006 while Missouri tightened their voter laws. In 2003, Voter ID laws passed in Alabama, Colorado, Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota. Fourteen states dominated by the TEA-GOP-Republican Party have changed the rules for voters since President Obama was elected into office. Every Hispanic/Latino across the nation should get involved and act accordingly to effect their voices in the voting booth. Don't wait, you may never get this chance again!

Speak the truth, Ms. Brown: opposition to Voter ID is all about perpetuating voter fraud in order to elect Democrats (the primary beneficiaries). A lot of people are sick and tired of seeing THEIR hard-earned vote wiped out by votes cast by dead people, illegal aliens and felons.

This just shows the ignorance of people that are opposed to this law. The Texas law requires that the state issue a photo ID to anyone that needs one for FREE!! I don't know where that $10 figure comes from. It is ridiculous to think that it's too hard to get an ID.

Voter ID is a good and needed law. Drivers Licenses or some form of identification are required almost everywhere. Why did the Democrats at their convention require a photo ID to just get in to the convention if the law is wrong? The NAACP required a photo ID in Houston at their convention. Michelle Obama required a photo ID from anyone wanting her signature at her book signing. Yet, they want anyone to vote with no identification? Would another country such as Mexico allow Americans to vote in their elections? No. We have too many people voting here in the USA who are not citizens and they are not voting for the good of America. They are voting for self serving reasons only. One voter said he voted nine times during the last election, using nine different voter registration cards. Do you think that is legal and proper to do?

September 15, 2012 @ 1:21 p.m.

Mauna Loah

Rudy: The panel that struck down the Texas Voter ID law was made up by Democrats. What do you expect their ruling to be since the Democrats are the ones who want anyone on earth to vote without a voter ID card? It is all a plan for Obama to be re-elected by the illegals in our country. Some of the information given to the panel by the Democrats was erroneous, and when the Supreme Court hears it, the Texas Voter ID law will be approved. The Democrats (Eric Holder) also timed the hearing so Texas would not have time to get a hearing before the Supreme Court in time to clean up the polls. I suppose anyone breaking the laws by crossing our borders illegally do not mind casting an illegal vote.

Didn't the Democrats require a picture ID to get into the convention? And you need one to see a new doctor or get lab work or x-rays ouside of your doctors office. Their complaints are nothing more than an excuses to let illegals and dead people vote.

Mary, the funniest thing? When Eric Holder came to Texas to announce his opposition to the Photo ID law (which IS modeled after the Georgia one the Supreme Court ALREADY has ruled constitutional), the required a photo ID for people to come in to here him speak!The $10 fee for the ID can be waived if the person proves financial hardship.

If your legal you should have a ID or birth cert. and not be concern about showing it to vote. I only see a problem if you were going to cheat this election and did not count on show a ID. I know Shelia Lee in Houston is have night mares now since the 19000 at one address will have to show a ID.

September 17, 2012 @ 1:10 p.m.

Adele Roberson

There have been , in this country, reports of twenty-two voter frauds in the last seven years. Millions of $ wasted on nonsence. When GWBush was Pres. he put five Justice Department Attorneys to investigate election fraud. Think of the $$$$$$$. They came back and told him there was not enough election fraud showing up to waste the time and the expense in such work. George W. Bush fired all five of them.I would be much more impressed with the ReThugs endeavours if they did not always start this foolishness forty-five days before elections. If anyone is insane enough to think that the illegal who is trying to survive in this country would take the chance of voting ... this insane person should cover the exxpense of these shenanigans - not the taxpayers.If there is a dead fish on your kitchen counter your kitchen will smell fishy.

How do they prove "financial hardship" No shoes, malnourished, nude. A bag full of unpaid bills??? You need to take some meds or something... you are all over the place and you are making less sense everyday.

My son will vote for the first time in this election. Although he has a student ID with his picture on it, issued from his college, that required presenting his SS card, birth certificate, medical shot record and educational transcripts, he is not allowed to use THAT kind of photo ID. Please tell me how this is not designed to prevent students from voting.

We spent 4 hours at the DMV in Plano, Texas on a 109 degree summer day. The office was filled to capacity with mostly elderly and hispanics trying to get a photo ID. They had to ask people to line up outside down the sidewalk in the 109 degree heat and wait to be admitted. Many of the elderly were accompanied by a younger person who was trying to help them wade through the maze and sometimes hostile DMV employees. Please tell me how this is not designed to keep the elderly, minorities and poor from voting.

Fortunately, my circumstances have changed but I do remember a time when taking 4 hours off work would have cost me my job. I also know how hard it was to take off work to help my elderly grandmother. Fortunately the cost of obtaining this "approved" form of photo ID is no longer prohibitive for me. For those on a fixed income it is prohibitive.

At one time, I too wondered what the big deal was about having a photo ID. Now I know from DIRECT EXPERIENCE. Unless you have experienced this kind of chaos first-hand you are not knowledgable enough to have an INFORMED OPINION.

Someone please tell me how this is NOT voter suppression.

September 28, 2012 @ 1:58 p.m.

bobby norwich

My 51 year old brother who is deaf and has advanced MS with leg paralysis, lives in a Medicaid nursing home and receives a total of $25 per month spending money (his only income) which is all that remains after his SSI pays the nursing home.

He does not have an ID card and doesn't need one. That is because he doesn't have a checking account, will never take a plane ride, doesn't have a checking or credit card account, will never buy a car or house, will never have a job, and has automatic verification of identity by nursing home when he needs medical care. He has, however, registered by mail to vote and does vote by absentee ballot.

But it is virtually impossible for him to get an ID card to vote. To get that card, he'd have to hire a wheelchair accessible Medi-car at $175 to drive him to and from the Dept of Motor Vehicles and spend his entire month's income to pay the $25 ID card fee. So, he'd have to save his spending money --- not buy any clothing, toiletries, or incidentals --- for 8 months to pay the $200 to get a card just so he can continue to vote.

My brother and the many millions like him can at least still vote assuming the Republicans don't take that right away from them. And the Republicans want you to think they understand and care about the poor. Phooey.